Bullets and lenses. First attempt at "product photography". C&C welcome

[Nikon_Dude]

Few shots I just took. Taken with 17-50mm f2.8.

1

2

3

4

The last shot was taken just using available light coming through the windows, the others I was playing with my new sb-600. Did I go too far with the brightness on the third picture to where it's blown out? On the lenses, I adjusted the brightness a little on the nikon, and straight out of camera with the tamron. Which is better, and what can I do to help eliminate some of those shadows in the first place?

 

[Forkie]

Those lenses are very underexposed. On the second one were you at your widest focal length, up close to the lens? It looks like it's suffering from some distortion and bowing out rightwards. Yes, I think you went too far with the brightness on 3.

4 is the best one. Could you try placing another light directed to light up and white out that background?

 

[Nikon_Dude]

Thanks for the input. I could try getting a light, on 4 the only light I used was what was coming through the windows and the time. Now that you mention it, the distortion is very obvious. And yes I was quite close to the lens, I was using a small posterboard as the background and any further back I would be getting the edges of the posterboard in the shot. Would I have had better results going a bit further back and zooming in to 50mm?

 

[tirediron]

Go back; who cares if the posterboard edges are in the shots? Crop to the subject in post. The biggest issue I see here is the need for lots more diffuse lighting.

 

[Nikon_Dude]

How would you recommend diffusing it more? Do you just mean more lighting? I was using the sb-600 with the built in diffuser, aimed up above the subject at the posterboard.